Criminal Justice Tilted in Favor of the Prosecution

It’s no secret that our judicial system is tilted in favor of the prosecution- has been for ages- so it should not come as a surprise to learn that the vast majority of those wrongfully convicted are the poor who cannot afford a private attorney, let alone any other legal support such as private investigators, technical experts, et cetera, factors which could help level the playing field.

If indigent defense were better funded, if courts insisted on higher-quality representation for the poor, if lawyers for the poor had better access to investigators and experts, if police and prosecutors provided broader disclosures of evidence and faced sanctions for misconduct, then perhaps the playing field would be more even. – Brandon L. Garrett

The road to substantive and comprehensive criminal justice reform has many facets. Better funding for our public defender offices is a big one.